Mitch Morse finds the silver lining in the Jaguars training camp struggles

Veteran Mitch Morse has seen it all throughout his career. That's why he isn't fretting over the rough start the Jacksonville Jaguars are having early in training camp. In fact, he thinks it will be beneficial for the team down the road.

Mitch Morse had an exchange with Jamal St. Cyr of News4Jax and said that Jacksonville should see their struggles as learning experiences, pointing out that training camp is full of hard lessons.

"I don't think anyone does, but it's the next step in the process, right?" Morse responded when asked if he's looking forward to the next padded practice. "Like it's the necessary evil. You play this game in pads. Competition breeds better football. You have to be a little uncomfortable to make those games as a team, and to have those hard lessons, which you do. Train camps full of hard lessons, individually or collectively. You sound like you hate them, but it's definitely more anxious."

Morse continued. "You get a little anxious, but everyone does, in your stomach. But that's a good thing because that means that you're getting closer to actually having football games. And then you get to work with offense and defensive line gets to do a little bit more football-specific stuff. Yeah, no one looks forward to those practices. If they do, they're insane, but they're necessary."

"It's always a fun time, especially after that first day to be in that locker room and see everyone kind of that collective sigh of relief, because it's really that first day, that first period, that you get those jitters out."

Morse goes on to say that to get better, you must get out of your comfort zone and cites the team working on specific things as one of the reasons for their issues in training camp.

"You have to push the envelope. You have to do stuff that makes you uncomfortable. You have to do stuff... you're adding new wrinkles to an offense, or you're having specific points that you're working on that might have been a point of emphasis in the past, why things haven't succeeded. This is stuff that we understand that people see and might get a little bit weary, or they might have a little pause, but it's something we work through."

The Jaguars offense has had trouble getting going early in training camp, having thrown at least an interception in each day of practice so far. Trevor Lawrence, in particular, has been under lots of scrutiny after throwing multiple picks twice. Having said that, the team's brass doesn't seem overly concerned.

Morse himself believes this is the time to make mistakes and see what works. Offensive coordinator Press Taylor echoes that sentiment, noting that he doesn't mind if Lawrence throws an interception (in practice) as long as he shares his reasoning.

Morse, a second-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2015, played for Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson when he was the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs. He signed with the Buffalo Bills in 2019 and joined the Jags this past offseason, citing Doug P's presence as one of the main reasons.

Here's Morse's full exchange with St. Cyr, where they discuss his acclimation period in Jacksonville and the challenges the Jags are currently facing.

The Jaguars are seeing Mitch Morse's leadership in full display

Mitch Morse was brought to stabilize the interior offensive line. He'll most likely replace incumbent Luke Fortner at center. On the other hand, the Jags also gave him a two-year deal in free agency because they want him to provide leadership when things get rough. So far, he's doing that.

Fortner and other youngsters such as Cooper Hodges will benefit from watching Morse play and how he conducts himself off and on the field, his practice habits, and whatnot. Regarding his leadership, the former Mizzou Tiger will play a role in making sure that the team stays together in rough times, whether it's in training camp or late in the season.

In the end, the Jaguars understand that a few rough practices won't make or break their season. Moreover, they have ample time to fix whatever issues they're facing. That Mitch Morse isn't ready yet to push the panic button and instead sees the opportunities that come with adversity should give Jaguars fans a sigh of relief.

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